Poinsettia plant named ‘Duejoker’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Poinsettia  plant named ‘Duejoker’, characterized by its inflorescences with inflorescences with red and yellow bi-colored flower bracts; dark green-colored leaves; uniform and rounded plant habit; early flowering; large and showy cyathia; and excellent post-production longevity.

Botanical classification/cultivar denomination: Euphorbia pulcherrimaWilld. cultivar Duejoker.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPoinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duejoker’.

The new Poinsettia is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breedingprogram is to create new Poinsettia cultivars with uniform plant habitand attractive flower bract coloration.

The new Poinsettia originated is a naturally occurring whole plantmutation of a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.identified as code number E-05-218, not patented. The cultivar Duejokerwas discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant withina population of plants of the parent selection in a controlledenvironment in Rheinberg, Germany in January, 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by vegetative terminalcuttings at Rheinberg, Germany since September, 2002, has shown that theunique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Duejoker’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Duejoker’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Inflorescences with red and yellow bi-colored flower bracts.    -   2. Dark green-colored leaves.    -   3. Uniform and rounded plant habit.    -   4. Early flowering; response time, about eight weeks.    -   5. Large and showy cyathia.    -   6. Excellent post-production longevity.

Compared to plants of the parent selection, plants of the new Poinsettiaare larger, have darker green-colored leaves and differ in flower bractcoloration.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the Poinsettiacultivar Duemirage, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser.No. 10/859,504 filed concurrently. Plants of the new Poinsettia differprimarily from plants of the cultivar Duemirage in flower bractcoloration.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the cultivarSonora White Glitter, not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Poinsettia differedprimarily from plants of the cultivar Sonora White Glitter in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were more compact than plants of        the cultivar Sonora White Glitter.    -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia flowered later than plants of        the cultivar Sonora White Glitter.    -   3. Plants of the new Poinsettia and the cultivar Sonora White        Glitter differed in flower bract coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Poinsettia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which accurately describe the colors of the newPoinsettia.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a single floweringplant of ‘Duejoker’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Poinsettia has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and averagedmeasurements describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during thewinter under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with dayand night temperatures about 22° C. and light levels about 4,500 lux.Single plants were grown in 13-cm pots and pinched once about five weeksafter planting. Plants were flowered under natural season short day/longnight conditions. Plants were about 16 weeks from unrooted cuttings whenthe photographs and the detailed botanical description were taken.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar    Duejoker.-   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary    selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number    E-05-218, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Vegetative terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 9 days at 22° C.            Winter: About 13 days at 22° C.        -   Time to develop roots.—Summer: About three weeks at 22° C.            Winter: About four weeks at 22° C.        -   Root description.—Moderately thick, fibrous, fleshy and            white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form.—Inverted triangle, top of plant rounded.        -   Growth habit.—Upright and uniform plant habit; vigorous.        -   Plant height.—About 25.7 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 36 cm.        -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity per plant: About five            to seven lateral branches develop after pinching. Length:            About 19.3 cm. Diameter: About 4.6 mm. Internode length:            About 8 to 12 mm. Color: 137A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Length:            About 8.2 cm. Width: About 5.6 cm. Shape: Mostly ovate with            irregular lobing. Apex: Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin:            Entire with irregular lobing. Venation pattern: Pinnate.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth.            Surface: Mostly flat. Color: Developing foliage, upper            surface: 139A. Developing foliage, lower surface: 137B to            137C. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 139A. Fully            expanded foliage, lower surface: 137B. Venation, upper            surface: 146A to 146B. Venation, lower surface: 146B to            146C. Petiole: Length: About 4.1 cm. Diameter: About 2.4 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: 183A to 183B.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound            corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the            cyathia. Inflorescences are not fragrant. Inflorescences            persistent.        -   Natural flowering season.—Autumn/winter in Northern            Hemisphere. Flower initiation and development is induced            under long nyctoperiod conditions. Response time, about            eight weeks.        -   Post-production longevity.—Plants of the new Poinsettia            maintain good substance and bract color for about eight            weeks under interior conditions and about twelve weeks under            greenhouse conditions.        -   Quantity of inflorescences per plant.—One per lateral            branch, about five to seven.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 21 cm. Height (depth):            About 3 cm.        -   Flower bracts.—Quantity of flower bracts per inflorescence:            About 15. Length, largest bracts: About 10.2 cm. Width,            largest bracts: About 5.5 cm. Shape: Mostly ovate with            irregular lobing. Apex: Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin:            Entire with irregular lobing. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Glabrous, velvety. Surface: Mostly flat, slightly            rugose. Orientation: Mostly horizontal. Color: Developing            bracts, upper surface: Red, 45A, with yellow, 1C, irregular            and random sectors, splashes and speckles. Developing            bracts, lower surface: Red, 45A, with yellow, 1C to 1D,            irregular and random sectors, splashes and speckles. Fully            developed bracts, upper surface: Red, 45A to 45B, with            yellow, 1B to 1C, irregular and random sectors, splashes and            speckles; colors becoming closer to 45D and 1C to 1D with            development. Fully developed bracts, lower surface: Red,            45D, with yellow, 1B to 1C, irregular and random sectors,            splashes and speckles. Venation, upper and lower surfaces:            Similar to lamina. Flower bract petiole: Length: About            3.2 cm. Diameter: About 2.4 mm. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Glabrous, smooth. Color, upper and lower surfaces:            185A.        -   Cyathia.—Quantity of cyathia per corymb: About 15. Diameter            of cyathia cluster: About 3.5 cm. Length: About 5.8 mm.            Diameter: About 4.8 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color, immature and            mature: 143B. Peduncle: Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About            2 mm. Strength/aspect: Strong, curved. Color: 143A to 143B.            Stamens: Quantity of stamens per cyathium: About 35. Anther            shape: Oval. Anther length: About 0.5 mm. Anther color: 187A            and 9B. Amount of pollen: Moderate. Pollen color: 14A and            9B. Pistils: Quantity of pistils per cyathium: One. Pistil            length: About 6 mm. Style length: About 1.4 mm. Style color:            About 144B to 144C. Stigma color: 59A and 143B. Ovary color:            144A. Nectaries: Quantity of nectaries per cyathium: One.            Length: About 4 mm. Color: 15A.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Poinsettias has not been observed on plants grown under commercial    conditions.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been    observed to tolerate temperatures from 12 to 40° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Duejoker’, asillustrated and described.